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2021 Kia K5 Has Some Astonishing Little Details

Aug. 04, 2020 7:45 AM ET by Jared Rosenholtz Scoop / Comments Kia knows how to pay attention. CarBuzz was recently given an early opportunity to drive the 2021 Kia K5, the replacement for the outgoing Optima. Kia explained that the K5 is different enough to justify a name change, but after driving the car, we think that the less significant updates are what makes the car feel so special. We only had access to the two K5s (in GT-Line and EX guises) for a short time. Still, we quickly noticed how much attention to detail Kia has paid with the car, and why the company ranks at the top of the latest JD Power Initial Quality Study. Kia's brand new Lead Vehicle Departure Alert feature is a perfect example. This new system beeps if the car in front of you pulls away, and the car senses that the driver is not paying attention. "It's an enhancement to the Driver Attention Warning we already had in the car," explained Brian Williams, K5 Product Manager. "It a first for Kia, and we expect to see it on more vehicles." CarBuzz CarBuzz CarBuzz Lead Vehicle Departure Alert also works in tandem with Kia's Adaptive Cruise Control with Stop & Go, which functions better than most systems in bumper-to-bumper traffic. "Our system, along with many others in the mass market segment, would bring the car down to a stop for about three seconds," Williams explained. "After that, it goes into a pause, and you have to reengage. From a competitive standpoint, we have up to 30 seconds of stop & go, meaning even more convenience for drivers." Having driven far more expensive vehicles than the K5 with less effective adaptive cruise, we can appreciate how intuitively Kia's system works in the real world. Kia also spent a ton of time and brainpower reinventing the K5's interior. The wireless charger, for example, is now a vertically-positioned affair with a spring-loaded door to slide your phone. It is, by far, the smartest design we've seen for a wireless charger. "It's faster charging, higher wattage, has a cooling fan to keep the phone colder, and the space is removable as phones grow in size," Williams added. Kia CarBuzz CarBuzz All of these tiny details explain why Kia has succeeded with customers on JD Power surveys. "The machine-human interface that Kia is able to achieve imparts a degree of comfort," said James Bell, Director of Corporate Communications at Kia Motors America. "Then when you ask people about their experience with the car after 90 days of ownership, they are comfortable with it. It works as they expected and it's not hypertechnical, it's hyper intuitive." CarBuzz CarBuzz CarBuzz CarBuzz

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Kia K5 Jared Rosenholtz Editor-at-Large After graduating with an MBA, Jared pursued his love of cars by becoming an automotive journalist. An internship with CarBuzz grew into his current position as Editor At Large. Jared now spends most of his time evaluating new vehicles and chasing the latest news stories in the automotive industry. When he’s not attending Cars & Coffee events on the weekend, Jared loves to watch NFL football and cruise around with the top down in his German convertible. Contact Jared @Carsnbites @jar_rosenholtz LoginSign Up Home News Features Car Reviews Car Advice 2021 CarBuzz Awards New Cars Used Cars Future Cars Compare Cars Sell My Car Car Dealerships Buy Here Pay Here Used Car Reviews Popular Tags Cars # Video # TOP # Spy Shots # Reveal # Rumor # Auto Show # Supercar # Tuning # Car Culture # Industry News # Motorsport Acura Alfa Romeo Aston Martin Audi Bentley BMW Bollinger Bugatti Buick Cadillac Caterham Chevrolet Chrysler Dodge Ferrari Fiat Fisker Ford Genesis GMC Hennessey Honda Hyundai Infiniti Jaguar Jeep Karma Kia Koenigsegg Lamborghini Land Rover Lexus Lincoln Lordstown Lotus Lucid Motors Maserati Mazda McLaren Mercedes-Benz Mini Mitsubishi Nissan Pagani Polestar Porsche Ram Rimac Rivian Rolls-Royce Spyker Subaru Tesla Toyota Volkswagen Volvo By Make Acura Alfa Romeo Aston Martin Audi Bentley BMW Bollinger Bugatti Buick Cadillac Caterham Chevrolet Chrysler Dodge Ferrari Fiat Fisker Ford Genesis GMC Hennessey Honda Hyundai Infiniti Jaguar Jeep Karma Kia Koenigsegg Lamborghini Land Rover Lexus Lincoln Lordstown Lotus Lucid Motors Maserati Mazda McLaren Mercedes-Benz Mini Mitsubishi Nissan Pagani Polestar Porsche Ram Rimac Rivian Rolls-Royce Spyker Subaru Tesla Toyota Volkswagen Volvo By Car Type SUVs Crossovers Sedans Coupes Trucks Sports Cars Wagons Vans Hatchbacks Convertibles Small Cars Luxury Cars Electric Cars Hybrid Cars Future Cars By Price Up to $15K $15K - $25K $25K - $35K $35K - $45K $45K - $55K $55K - $75K $75K - $100K $100K - $200K $200K - $300K Above $300K Back To Top